Re: Should Online Scofflaws Be Denied Web Access? - NYTimes.com

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
Date: April 13, 2009 9:48:30 PM EDT
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: Re: [IP] Re: Should Online Scofflaws Be Denied Web Access? -  
NYTimes.com


Dave,

The entire concept of cutting people (either human type people or
corporate type people) off from the Internet is already silly, and
soon will be utterly ludicrous.  But politicians (and perhaps some in
the judiciary) trying to score political points either haven't figured
this out yet -- or are deep in denial.

The Internet is rapidly becoming absolutely essential for all manner
of daily life outside of the most underdeveloped of areas, and not
having Internet access for commerce, for interaction with government
agencies, and for the obtaining of basic information will soon be a
completely impractical burden.  This will hold true for big companies,
private citizens, and yes -- even for paroled criminals and the sex
offenders that some judges try to ban from touching the Net.

Like water, power, and basic voice phone service -- all essentials of
life in our modern society that we don't deny anyone based on previous
crimes -- Internet access is rapidly reaching the state of being a
fundamental and necessary right, not a toy or luxury that can be
reasonably withheld, particularly not at the whim of intellectual
property holders!

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren () vortex com
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
  - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad
  - Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, GCTIP - Global Coalition
  for Transparent Internet Performance - http://www.gctip.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Twitter: LW1

- - -

On 04/13 20:35, David Farber wrote:
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Karl Auerbach <karl () cavebear com>
> Date: April 13, 2009 6:40:16 PM EDT
> To: dpreed () reed com
> Cc: dave () farber net
> Subject: Re: [IP] Re:   Should Online Scofflaws Be Denied Web  
> Access? -
> NYTimes.com
>
> David Farber wrote:
>
> > From: "David P. Reed" <dpreed () reed com>
> > Date: April 13, 2009 4:08:47 PM EDT
>
> > Subject: Re: [IP] Should Online Scofflaws Be Denied Web Access? -
> > NYTimes.com
> > ... "commit crime on net, disconnect from net"
>
> Thinking of other unintended consequences: Corporate entities have,  
> as I
> mentioned a few weeks back, roughly the same rights and privileges as
> natural people.
>
> One would hope, therefore, that the ax of these draconian laws would
> fall equally on corporate entities as they would on natural people.
>
> Thus, for example, if a corporation were to be found to have engaged  
> in
> the same kind of behaviour as would ban a person from the net that  
> that
> corporation would itself be banned from the net.
>
> Thus equal treatment for equal violations would require that if were
> Google to be found to be in copyright violation 3 times it would, as a
> corporation, be banned from being on the internet.  Same for Time
> Warner, Sony, Comcast, etc.
>
> Perhaps the realization that corporate entities could be banned from  
> the
> net might induce some sanity.
>
>                 --karl--
>
>
>
>
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